For those of us who do not believe in companies 2nd pillar pension , and would like instead to cash in and invest to fund retirement, is self-directed investment realistic or is it really a matter for professionals ?
Isn’t that what this forum is about 
not going to retire early if you don’t do your own investments.
Self-direct is realistic, see 4% rule, especially “Bengen Floor & Ceiling”. Play with https://portfoliocharts.com/portfolio/retirement-spending/
But you also need to assume that at some point 80 or 90 years old, you maybe won’t able to manage a yourself a portfolio. A good possibility is “Single Premium Immediate Annuity” (SPIA). In french: Rente immediate. You can invest in these products in the last part of your life.
Maybe with more information, I would be able to provide a better answer.
Do you know if there are such instruments (i.e. annuities) available in Switzerland?
I know North America is equipped with crazy amount of options - curious about how is it here.
Agreed… but to take control of the most important investment project we need to make sure we have a strong foundation and a methodology.
Thank you so Wapiti , the „Portfolio Chart“ Method looks impressive. Has anyone gotten experience with it ?